1 00:00:02,529 --> 00:00:04,210 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios. 2 00:00:04,690 --> 00:00:05,370 Speaker 2: Podcasts. 3 00:00:05,690 --> 00:00:06,210 Speaker 3: Radio. 4 00:00:06,650 --> 00:00:07,050 Speaker 4: News. 5 00:00:12,539 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. Catch us live weekdays 6 00:00:16,739 --> 00:00:20,220 Speaker 1: at 7 a.m. Eastern on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto 7 00:00:20,300 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: with the Bloomberg Business App. Listen on demand wherever you 8 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,970 Speaker 1: get your podcasts or watch us live on YouTube. 9 00:00:27,590 --> 00:00:30,210 Speaker 5: We're back to school, folks. It's Labor Day's over. The 10 00:00:30,230 --> 00:00:32,110 Speaker 5: summer's over. Let's talk to some professionals here. 11 00:00:32,470 --> 00:00:34,809 Speaker 2: And we started off strong with Jim Caron, CIO of 12 00:00:34,950 --> 00:00:37,309 Speaker 2: Cross Asset Solutions. 13 00:00:37,990 --> 00:00:39,010 Speaker 5: Boy, the people at Morgan. 14 00:00:38,790 --> 00:00:41,490 Speaker 2: Stanley that hand out the titles, they do a phenomenal job. 15 00:00:41,510 --> 00:00:44,050 Speaker 2: They've got just titles that you just can't imagine. He's 16 00:00:44,070 --> 00:00:46,290 Speaker 2: at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Jim, thanks so much for 17 00:00:46,670 --> 00:00:47,370 Speaker 2: joining us here. 18 00:00:47,390 --> 00:00:48,190 Speaker 5: Good morning. 19 00:00:48,630 --> 00:00:52,310 Speaker 2: As we kick off this final three months here, four 20 00:00:52,370 --> 00:00:53,690 Speaker 2: months of the. 21 00:00:53,610 --> 00:00:55,990 Speaker 5: Year, what's your top story here? 22 00:00:56,030 --> 00:00:58,700 Speaker 2: What are you asking your teams to focus on? Or 23 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: maybe what are your teams telling you they're focusing on? 24 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 6: So the top story for me in terms of how 25 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 6: we look at multi-asset portfolios is what's going to drive returns. 26 00:01:10,730 --> 00:01:14,270 Speaker 6: And what's driving returns right now is really factors that 27 00:01:14,310 --> 00:01:18,890 Speaker 6: align very closely with nominal GDP growth, right? So effectively, 28 00:01:18,950 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 6: what we're getting is a lot of great top line 29 00:01:20,890 --> 00:01:21,980 Speaker 6: growth in the U.S. 30 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:22,420 Speaker 7: Economy. 31 00:01:23,180 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 6: We've had some notable Wall Street analysts upgrade their 3Q 32 00:01:27,420 --> 00:01:33,410 Speaker 6: GDP forecasts and even for all of 2026. That is 33 00:01:33,470 --> 00:01:36,089 Speaker 6: something that's going to drive earnings. That's something that's going 34 00:01:36,110 --> 00:01:38,810 Speaker 6: to support earnings growth. It's going to support profit margins. 35 00:01:39,209 --> 00:01:41,649 Speaker 6: This is why the equity markets are holding up really, 36 00:01:41,690 --> 00:01:43,980 Speaker 6: really well. But now I've only told you half the story. 37 00:01:44,020 --> 00:01:45,580 Speaker 6: The other half of the story is what's going on 38 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,590 Speaker 6: in bonds. Well, good nominal growth doesn't necessarily distribute itself evenly. 39 00:01:50,910 --> 00:01:53,669 Speaker 7: It's better for equities. It's not so good for bonds. 40 00:01:54,150 --> 00:01:57,550 Speaker 6: Because effectively what it's saying is that as nominal GDP 41 00:01:57,610 --> 00:02:01,910 Speaker 6: rates start to move higher, that actually makes bond yields 42 00:02:02,090 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 6: move higher as well. And as bond yields move higher, 43 00:02:04,580 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 6: the price moves down and it hurts the performance of 44 00:02:07,260 --> 00:02:08,940 Speaker 6: the fixed income markets. 45 00:02:09,419 --> 00:02:11,300 Speaker 7: So then what you get is a rotation. 46 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 6: Then you have investors that are investing in multi-asset portfolios, 47 00:02:15,180 --> 00:02:18,780 Speaker 6: you know, diversified bonds and equities, and they're making a choice. 48 00:02:19,100 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 6: And they're saying, do I want to hold more bonds? 49 00:02:21,980 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 6: Or do I want to hold more equities in this 50 00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:25,869 Speaker 6: higher nominal growth environment? 51 00:02:26,190 --> 00:02:30,180 Speaker 7: And what they're choosing is equities. So then you peel. 52 00:02:30,020 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 6: The onion back another layer and you say, within equities, 53 00:02:32,980 --> 00:02:35,179 Speaker 6: how do I start to think about this rotationally? So 54 00:02:35,220 --> 00:02:38,540 Speaker 6: you start to move to value, to quality, and you 55 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 6: start to really broaden out the market. And that's what's happening. 56 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,810 Speaker 6: So what we are focusing on at Morgan Stanley Investment 57 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,470 Speaker 6: Management is we are focusing on ways that we can 58 00:02:48,590 --> 00:02:53,370 Speaker 6: think about generating higher returns without taking excessive risk and 59 00:02:53,430 --> 00:02:55,790 Speaker 6: what the weight and what the mix between fixed income 60 00:02:56,010 --> 00:02:57,100 Speaker 6: and equity ought to be. 61 00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:01,410 Speaker 8: Jim, toss into the mix the Fed meeting next week 62 00:03:01,710 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 8: and your calculation for that. 63 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:06,940 Speaker 7: So there's a lot of debate on this. 64 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,470 Speaker 6: I think the markets have priced that there's a 60% 65 00:03:09,470 --> 00:03:13,290 Speaker 6: probability that the Fed's going to hike rates next week. 66 00:03:14,590 --> 00:03:16,830 Speaker 7: I'll say that my view is that they will not. 67 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:20,070 Speaker 6: But clearly, that's highly dependent on what happens on Friday 68 00:03:20,110 --> 00:03:24,380 Speaker 6: when CPI gets released. But what I think is the 69 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,620 Speaker 6: more important, and I really think it's a two-part question. 70 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 6: What I think the more important part to that question is, 71 00:03:29,380 --> 00:03:33,310 Speaker 6: is if they hike interest rates, How many do they go? 72 00:03:33,370 --> 00:03:35,890 Speaker 6: Like how many how many times do they hike interest 73 00:03:35,930 --> 00:03:38,290 Speaker 6: rates going forward? In other words, if they hike next week, 74 00:03:38,790 --> 00:03:42,210 Speaker 6: does that start a campaign of four to six rate 75 00:03:42,250 --> 00:03:45,330 Speaker 6: hikes going forward? Is this is this the signaling event 76 00:03:45,390 --> 00:03:48,060 Speaker 6: that we're going to have a rate hiking cycle in 77 00:03:48,090 --> 00:03:49,970 Speaker 6: front of us to try to slow down demand in 78 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 6: the economy and bring inflation down? and bring inflation lower? 79 00:03:53,940 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 6: Or is it a signal that, well, this is just 80 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 6: a fine-tuning. Policy rates are 3.5%. That may be too low. 81 00:04:00,100 --> 00:04:03,500 Speaker 6: Maybe we'll hike one or two times, and that's it. Well, 82 00:04:03,540 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 6: the market's already priced for that. So if that's the 83 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 6: signaling that comes out of the Fed meeting next week, 84 00:04:10,660 --> 00:04:14,060 Speaker 6: then it's not a negative for riskier assets like equities 85 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,849 Speaker 6: or even credit spreads. In fact, it could stabilize long-term 86 00:04:17,870 --> 00:04:22,430 Speaker 6: bond yields a bit more and keep them relatively steady 87 00:04:22,490 --> 00:04:24,490 Speaker 6: because it addresses the inflation concern risk. 88 00:04:25,230 --> 00:04:27,930 Speaker 2: So, I mean, one could argue, Jim, and I know 89 00:04:27,950 --> 00:04:29,810 Speaker 2: it's kind of almost 50-50 at this point, but one 90 00:04:29,830 --> 00:04:32,490 Speaker 2: could argue that the Fed really has a decent argument 91 00:04:32,650 --> 00:04:35,470 Speaker 2: to do nothing next week. I mean, the market's already 92 00:04:35,510 --> 00:04:38,190 Speaker 2: done a lot of the heavy lifting for it. Maybe 93 00:04:38,230 --> 00:04:41,090 Speaker 2: just sit on the sidelines and maybe see how inflation 94 00:04:41,110 --> 00:04:42,530 Speaker 2: plays out over the coming periods. 95 00:04:43,230 --> 00:04:46,150 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think that's really the way that I would 96 00:04:46,180 --> 00:04:48,060 Speaker 6: think about it. I would think about this as a 97 00:04:48,180 --> 00:04:51,340 Speaker 6: signaling type of a meeting, meaning that if they hike 98 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 6: interest rates 25 basis points, the markets have already priced 99 00:04:54,660 --> 00:04:55,340 Speaker 6: that in, right? 100 00:04:55,380 --> 00:04:57,260 Speaker 7: So that's not really a big deal. 101 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 6: But if they signal like, look, we've hiked 25 basis 102 00:05:00,380 --> 00:05:03,270 Speaker 6: points and- You know, this is really just a fine 103 00:05:03,310 --> 00:05:05,450 Speaker 6: tuning adjustment. This is not the start of a really 104 00:05:05,490 --> 00:05:08,310 Speaker 6: big campaign. That's actually really positive. I mean, that would 105 00:05:08,390 --> 00:05:11,170 Speaker 6: actually be a really positive outcome. So it's really a 106 00:05:11,190 --> 00:05:14,100 Speaker 6: question of how they signal. So it's one of these 107 00:05:14,140 --> 00:05:16,460 Speaker 6: questions of, you know, listen to what they say. Don't 108 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,620 Speaker 6: watch what they do. What they do is going to 109 00:05:18,660 --> 00:05:22,060 Speaker 6: be less relevant than what they actually say. Because this 110 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,190 Speaker 6: is really about signaling. And that's the key that the 111 00:05:25,250 --> 00:05:27,409 Speaker 6: market has to sort of catch up with right now. 112 00:05:27,470 --> 00:05:29,350 Speaker 6: I know we're consumed with, do they hike? Do they 113 00:05:29,390 --> 00:05:31,330 Speaker 6: not hike? We have an ECB meeting this week. We 114 00:05:31,370 --> 00:05:37,370 Speaker 6: have the JGB, sorry, Japan meeting next week. Both central banks, 115 00:05:37,990 --> 00:05:42,390 Speaker 6: the ECB and the BOJ are likely to hike interest rates. 116 00:05:43,390 --> 00:05:46,510 Speaker 7: At their meetings, but it doesn't necessarily translate into the U.S. 117 00:05:46,529 --> 00:05:47,529 Speaker 7: having to do so, though. 118 00:05:48,010 --> 00:05:52,490 Speaker 8: Jim, stocks have proven vulnerable to past jolts in the 119 00:05:52,570 --> 00:05:56,290 Speaker 8: bond market, not necessarily this time around. Why is that? 120 00:05:57,589 --> 00:05:59,870 Speaker 7: I'm sorry. So you said that stocks have proven. 121 00:06:00,150 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 8: Vulnerable to some of the jolts that we've seen in 122 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,700 Speaker 8: the bond market in the past, but not necessarily this time. 123 00:06:07,060 --> 00:06:09,140 Speaker 8: What are the dynamics that are taking place? Why is 124 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 8: this different? 125 00:06:10,380 --> 00:06:11,740 Speaker 7: Yeah, sorry. Yeah. 126 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:13,979 Speaker 6: So what I think is very different right now is 127 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,220 Speaker 6: really just the earning story. And I'm going to go 128 00:06:16,260 --> 00:06:18,049 Speaker 6: back to what I said in the beginning is it's 129 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,610 Speaker 6: a nominal GDP story because nominal GDP is what drives earnings. 130 00:06:21,710 --> 00:06:25,530 Speaker 6: Nominal GDP is real plus inflation. And that is basically 131 00:06:26,050 --> 00:06:29,180 Speaker 6: the cash flow that companies are getting cash flows right now. 132 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,540 Speaker 6: And you were talking about this earlier on your show. 133 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,779 Speaker 6: are really strong. Nominal GDP growth is really strong. Top 134 00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:39,370 Speaker 6: line growth is really strong. This is something that equities, 135 00:06:39,690 --> 00:06:44,970 Speaker 6: higher earnings is mother's milk to equities, right? That's the 136 00:06:45,010 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 6: principal form of valuation whenever we think about valuing an equity. 137 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 6: So I think when an equity investor looks at what's 138 00:06:53,140 --> 00:06:55,460 Speaker 6: happening in the markets, and yes, bond yields have risen, 139 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,169 Speaker 6: But nominal GDP has risen a whole lot more. And 140 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,210 Speaker 6: you could make the argument that nominal GDP has risen 141 00:07:02,270 --> 00:07:04,250 Speaker 6: a lot and bond yields have a lot of catching 142 00:07:04,310 --> 00:07:07,470 Speaker 6: up to do still before the rise in yields becomes 143 00:07:07,529 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 6: restrictive and it breaks the equity markets. And so that's 144 00:07:11,540 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 6: why we're in this transition phase of catching up, bond 145 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,340 Speaker 6: yields catching up to nominal growth. And that's why the 146 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,790 Speaker 6: equity markets have been able to pretty much ignore some 147 00:07:20,810 --> 00:07:25,210 Speaker 6: of the jolts, as you put it, in the bond 148 00:07:25,250 --> 00:07:27,780 Speaker 6: markets and the equity markets have kind of looked past it. 149 00:07:28,150 --> 00:07:30,830 Speaker 6: Because even with yields rising, I mean, you know, look 150 00:07:30,870 --> 00:07:33,110 Speaker 6: at second quarter earnings. I mean, yields rose and boy, 151 00:07:33,130 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 6: second quarter earnings were pretty, you know, pretty strong. 152 00:07:36,260 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 5: Absolutely. 153 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 2: Jim, thanks so much for joining us. Always appreciate getting 154 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:40,940 Speaker 2: a few minutes of your time. Jim Caron, he's the 155 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,820 Speaker 2: CIO of Cross Asset Solutions. Morgan Stanley, investment manager. 156 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,820 Speaker 5: Thank you. Stay with us. More from Bloomberg Surveillance coming 157 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:49,860 Speaker 5: up after this. 158 00:07:56,090 --> 00:07:59,690 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. Catch us live 159 00:07:59,770 --> 00:08:02,930 Speaker 1: weekday afternoons from 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern. Listen on 160 00:08:03,050 --> 00:08:06,310 Speaker 1: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app 161 00:08:06,510 --> 00:08:08,230 Speaker 1: or watch us live on YouTube. 162 00:08:08,610 --> 00:08:12,739 Speaker 2: Yesterday, four o'clock, sitting on the beach, John, toes in 163 00:08:12,750 --> 00:08:15,860 Speaker 2: the sand, enjoying the Labor Day, thinking, is it too early? 164 00:08:16,410 --> 00:08:19,030 Speaker 2: my first adult beverage of the day. When I check 165 00:08:19,050 --> 00:08:20,990 Speaker 2: my work email, which I do all the time because 166 00:08:21,030 --> 00:08:23,530 Speaker 2: I was trained as an investment banker and we worked 167 00:08:23,550 --> 00:08:25,310 Speaker 2: 24-7 as opposed to some people who like to think 168 00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:27,060 Speaker 2: when they leave the office, they don't have to look 169 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 2: at their emails. 170 00:08:28,020 --> 00:08:28,660 Speaker 5: I do all the time. 171 00:08:29,020 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: What hits my email at four o'clock is an email 172 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,579 Speaker 2: from Stuart Kaiser at Citigroup. He said, US equity trading strategy. 173 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 2: I read it and it was concise as his notes are. 174 00:08:40,210 --> 00:08:41,569 Speaker 2: And I walked away thinking, all right, I'm a little 175 00:08:41,590 --> 00:08:42,210 Speaker 2: bit smarter here. 176 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:44,130 Speaker 5: I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go. And Stuart 177 00:08:44,150 --> 00:08:46,570 Speaker 5: Kaiser instantly Studio. We appreciate it. 178 00:08:47,050 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: Stuart, how are you setting up your clients? What are 179 00:08:49,460 --> 00:08:52,219 Speaker 2: you hearing from your trading clients as they think about 180 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 2: this last third of the year here? There's a lot 181 00:08:53,950 --> 00:08:57,069 Speaker 2: of crosswinds out there, not the least of which is elections, 182 00:08:57,110 --> 00:08:57,290 Speaker 2: I guess. 183 00:08:58,059 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I think people are still relatively bullish, but 184 00:09:00,620 --> 00:09:03,050 Speaker 3: the fact is there's a ton of event risk in September, 185 00:09:03,210 --> 00:09:06,330 Speaker 3: starting on Thursday with PPI, CPI Friday, and then the FOMC, 186 00:09:06,370 --> 00:09:08,590 Speaker 3: and then obviously the kickoff to election season as well. 187 00:09:08,650 --> 00:09:10,530 Speaker 9: So I do think people still want to be long 188 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:11,050 Speaker 9: in the market. 189 00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 3: I think the bar to buy right now is a 190 00:09:13,290 --> 00:09:15,780 Speaker 3: little higher just because they're respective of all those risks. 191 00:09:16,140 --> 00:09:19,540 Speaker 3: I think any kind of reasonable dip, call it 2%, 3%, 4% 192 00:09:19,540 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 3: is going to get bought pretty quickly. But until then, 193 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 3: I do think investors are going to be just a 194 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:27,110 Speaker 3: little bit cautious because of the The calendar really that 195 00:09:27,150 --> 00:09:28,449 Speaker 3: we face over the next 30 days. 196 00:09:28,870 --> 00:09:30,630 Speaker 8: And at the end of the day, it's all about 197 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:34,189 Speaker 8: earnings and earnings upgrades, at least according to what we 198 00:09:34,230 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 8: track here. The upgrades are on the longest run in 199 00:09:37,260 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 8: about five years. How do you see it? 200 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,470 Speaker 9: Yeah, it's been an incredible earnings revision year. 201 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,530 Speaker 3: If you look at forward 12-month S & P earnings, 202 00:09:44,550 --> 00:09:47,090 Speaker 3: they were 311 at the starting of the year. They're 203 00:09:47,090 --> 00:09:50,390 Speaker 3: 397 now, which is a stunningly large number. We've sort 204 00:09:50,450 --> 00:09:53,750 Speaker 3: of termed it trickle-down EPS. You have these hyperscalers that 205 00:09:53,790 --> 00:09:57,130 Speaker 3: are spending massive amounts of money on the AI CapEx build-out, 206 00:09:57,410 --> 00:09:59,410 Speaker 3: and that money is just trickling down to the rest 207 00:09:59,450 --> 00:10:02,260 Speaker 3: of the market. and you're just seeing very broad-based earnings revisions. 208 00:10:02,540 --> 00:10:03,450 Speaker 9: We expect that to continue. 209 00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:07,690 Speaker 8: That money is being spent from free cash flow or 210 00:10:07,830 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 8: debt issuance? And tell us that matters. Yeah, look, it's 211 00:10:11,980 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 8: being spent from both. 212 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 3: If you look at the average credit spread of those hyperscalers, 213 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:17,900 Speaker 3: it's basically tripled over the last 12 months, but it's 214 00:10:17,940 --> 00:10:21,050 Speaker 3: only 66 basis points. So to your point, you had 215 00:10:21,090 --> 00:10:24,429 Speaker 3: very strong free cash flow for these companies. They have 216 00:10:24,470 --> 00:10:27,730 Speaker 3: issued debt. They are spending that free cash. But the 217 00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 3: bottom line is they're borrowing, you call it 6%, and 218 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 3: they're earning, in our estimate, almost 30% on that investment. 219 00:10:34,260 --> 00:10:37,119 Speaker 3: And almost any finance manager is going to borrow at 6% 220 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,590 Speaker 3: and invest at 30% if they get the chance. So, yes, 221 00:10:39,620 --> 00:10:41,370 Speaker 3: there is negative free cash flow for a lot of 222 00:10:41,410 --> 00:10:43,370 Speaker 3: these companies. But I think if you look back to 223 00:10:43,429 --> 00:10:46,410 Speaker 3: earnings season, both Amazon and Microsoft, I think, are very, 224 00:10:46,450 --> 00:10:49,910 Speaker 3: very important because... They talked about the demand, but Microsoft 225 00:10:49,970 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 3: really made the case for the return on investing capital 226 00:10:52,620 --> 00:10:55,020 Speaker 3: that they're generating. And I think it calmed people down 227 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,540 Speaker 3: because again, borrow at six, invest at 30 is a 228 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 3: trade that any of us would do and our PAs 229 00:10:59,080 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 3: probably too. 230 00:11:00,380 --> 00:11:02,559 Speaker 2: First time I heard that, read that was yesterday on 231 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 2: the beach. AI CapEx will continue as borrowing at 6% 232 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: to earn 30% is hard to resist. One of our 233 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,510 Speaker 2: guests said that this morning. So I think that she 234 00:11:10,570 --> 00:11:13,929 Speaker 2: read your research and got that there. I'm nervous about AI. 235 00:11:14,110 --> 00:11:17,210 Speaker 2: It's such a big part of the economy. It's such 236 00:11:17,250 --> 00:11:19,729 Speaker 2: a big part of the earnings story, which is really 237 00:11:19,750 --> 00:11:23,340 Speaker 2: propelling the market. My concern is, when it ends, how 238 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,340 Speaker 2: bad is that going to be? Or maybe it won't end. 239 00:11:25,460 --> 00:11:25,819 Speaker 2: I don't know. 240 00:11:26,140 --> 00:11:29,140 Speaker 3: Look, it's a reasonable question. I would say Heath Terry 241 00:11:29,179 --> 00:11:31,429 Speaker 3: on our side, who does our AI forecasting, has about it. 242 00:11:31,420 --> 00:11:32,350 Speaker 5: I knew him when he was a kid. 243 00:11:32,490 --> 00:11:34,930 Speaker 9: Yeah, and he's an excellent analyst. 244 00:11:35,010 --> 00:11:35,309 Speaker 8: Awesome. 245 00:11:35,670 --> 00:11:38,630 Speaker 3: They have a trillion dollars of CapEx globally next year 246 00:11:38,850 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 3: and almost $ 4 trillion by 2030. So unless these companies 247 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:44,860 Speaker 3: pull back the reins, and I don't see them doing 248 00:11:44,890 --> 00:11:47,370 Speaker 3: that unless they don't expect to earn the return on it, 249 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,599 Speaker 3: I think we have another few years here of just 250 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:50,660 Speaker 3: very aggressive spending. 251 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:52,740 Speaker 9: And this is not just a U.S. 252 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 2: Story. 253 00:11:53,460 --> 00:11:55,740 Speaker 3: About two-thirds of all data centers are in the U.S. 254 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,179 Speaker 3: To do active chat from an AI perspective, you need 255 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,620 Speaker 3: to be within about 100 miles of the person doing 256 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 3: the chat, which means this is a global story. You're 257 00:12:04,059 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 3: going to need data centers built out in China and 258 00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:08,980 Speaker 3: in Europe as well. So again, I- take your point, 259 00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:11,730 Speaker 3: but we do expect the spending to continue at least 260 00:12:11,750 --> 00:12:14,270 Speaker 3: for the next four, eight, 12 quarters. 261 00:12:14,370 --> 00:12:16,309 Speaker 9: And if that's the case, these earnings numbers are going higher. 262 00:12:16,890 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 8: Equities generally come under pressure from higher yields. Let's talk 263 00:12:21,540 --> 00:12:23,850 Speaker 8: about risk for a moment. What do you see out there? 264 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I think the 30-year yield, I think, is 265 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,069 Speaker 3: what people are really paying attention to. And similar to AI, 266 00:12:29,110 --> 00:12:33,170 Speaker 3: this is a global story. Japanese 30 years got above 4.1%, 267 00:12:33,170 --> 00:12:35,969 Speaker 3: which is an exceptionally high number for them historically. 268 00:12:36,370 --> 00:12:37,790 Speaker 9: So I think yields are a risk. 269 00:12:37,809 --> 00:12:41,620 Speaker 3: We're seeing this morning the Houthis attacking Saudi oil infrastructure. 270 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 3: You're getting oil back towards $ 100. So higher yields, higher oil, 271 00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:47,740 Speaker 3: those are two huge risks to the market. And I 272 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,580 Speaker 3: think those are persistent. Equity markets have done a very 273 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,590 Speaker 3: good job of compartmentalizing oil. And on the rate side, 274 00:12:54,750 --> 00:12:57,550 Speaker 3: I think rates becomes an issue between earnings, if that 275 00:12:57,590 --> 00:13:00,510 Speaker 3: makes sense. So when we're reporting earnings, equities are happy 276 00:13:00,530 --> 00:13:01,490 Speaker 3: to ignore all of that. 277 00:13:01,429 --> 00:13:01,969 Speaker 5: Noise, right? 278 00:13:02,210 --> 00:13:04,410 Speaker 8: If there's a hike next week, is that the beginning 279 00:13:04,429 --> 00:13:06,270 Speaker 8: of a cycle, or is it just a one-off? 280 00:13:07,150 --> 00:13:09,860 Speaker 3: To me, the type of inflation the Fed is trying 281 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,819 Speaker 3: to fight is persistently above target, right? So I would 282 00:13:12,860 --> 00:13:15,820 Speaker 3: view this as, call it one or two hikes, and 283 00:13:15,860 --> 00:13:19,500 Speaker 3: then they'll leave rates there until they see progress on inflation. 284 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 3: And that's not the economics view. That's just kind of 285 00:13:21,980 --> 00:13:25,180 Speaker 3: the meathead markets view. But what's interesting from equity, guys, 286 00:13:25,230 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 3: is to your point, equity investors get worried when you 287 00:13:27,140 --> 00:13:30,730 Speaker 3: get an inflation cycle, inflation like accelerating higher. This is 288 00:13:30,809 --> 00:13:35,410 Speaker 3: not that. This is inflation stable just above target. So 289 00:13:35,429 --> 00:13:36,969 Speaker 3: I think equity investors are just going to have to 290 00:13:37,010 --> 00:13:39,910 Speaker 3: swallow hard. I think the first couple hikes could be 291 00:13:39,929 --> 00:13:42,970 Speaker 3: a little bit disruptive. But when equity investors understand that 292 00:13:43,010 --> 00:13:44,870 Speaker 3: this is just a couple of hikes and it's not 293 00:13:44,890 --> 00:13:47,510 Speaker 3: going to be an aggressive cycle, I think ultimately equities 294 00:13:47,550 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 3: will be able to deal with that. 295 00:13:49,230 --> 00:13:51,490 Speaker 2: Are your clients on the Citi trading desk, are they 296 00:13:52,290 --> 00:13:56,470 Speaker 2: buying protection? Are they buying volatility? What are they looking 297 00:13:56,850 --> 00:13:58,930 Speaker 2: to do at this point, do you think? Because we've got, again, 298 00:13:58,980 --> 00:14:02,060 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff happening, whether it's the Fed meeting, elections, 299 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 2: there's a lot of uncertainty out there. 300 00:14:03,460 --> 00:14:06,100 Speaker 3: Yeah, for most of August, we had actually seen clients 301 00:14:06,140 --> 00:14:09,180 Speaker 3: selling optionality because implied volatility was so high, we had 302 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,099 Speaker 3: cleared past earnings. What we saw late on Friday was 303 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,500 Speaker 3: a lot of people buying upside on the VIX, so 304 00:14:14,540 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: trying to own volatility, trying to hedge in that way. 305 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:18,790 Speaker 3: And I think that was just because the VIX had 306 00:14:18,809 --> 00:14:21,470 Speaker 3: gotten down to about 14, all the event risk that 307 00:14:21,510 --> 00:14:23,490 Speaker 3: we mentioned. And I think some clients were saying, you 308 00:14:23,510 --> 00:14:26,190 Speaker 3: know what, this long holiday weekend, a very quiet August, 309 00:14:26,450 --> 00:14:28,510 Speaker 3: these hedges have gotten cheap, and we're going to put 310 00:14:28,550 --> 00:14:30,890 Speaker 3: those on. So we have seen a little bit of hedging, 311 00:14:30,910 --> 00:14:33,110 Speaker 3: but it was very late last week. I would expect 312 00:14:33,150 --> 00:14:37,250 Speaker 3: that to continue this week. as portfolio managers are still 313 00:14:37,270 --> 00:14:39,980 Speaker 3: long and just respect the fact that there's a lot 314 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,860 Speaker 3: of event risk here. So we went from selling vol 315 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:46,020 Speaker 3: to the vol getting so attractive that some hedges got 316 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 3: put on late last week. 317 00:14:47,970 --> 00:14:51,090 Speaker 8: Can you talk individual names or sectors? Where's all the 318 00:14:51,130 --> 00:14:53,530 Speaker 8: interest right now? I mean, you mentioned AI, of course. 319 00:14:53,550 --> 00:14:55,930 Speaker 3: Yeah. Look, I would say two areas of interest outside 320 00:14:55,950 --> 00:14:58,700 Speaker 3: of AI, and any PM we talk to is telling us, 321 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,940 Speaker 3: give us your even third best idea that's not AI related. 322 00:15:02,300 --> 00:15:03,820 Speaker 3: And I think the two that have really caught a 323 00:15:03,820 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 3: lot of interest are banks and healthcare, especially banks. Just 324 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,290 Speaker 3: the regulatory environment's helpful. The capital situation is very positive. 325 00:15:12,350 --> 00:15:14,730 Speaker 3: And then on the healthcare side, after that Moderna announcement, 326 00:15:15,010 --> 00:15:17,490 Speaker 3: I think people got really excited about pharma and biotech. 327 00:15:17,530 --> 00:15:21,230 Speaker 3: So If you look at the consensus portfolio right now, 328 00:15:21,310 --> 00:15:23,460 Speaker 3: I think a lot of capital goods, which is kind 329 00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 3: of AI build-out, pharma and biotech banks, and then semis 330 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,380 Speaker 3: and hardware after that. So again, I would say outside 331 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 3: of AI, healthcare and banks would be the two areas 332 00:15:31,580 --> 00:15:32,500 Speaker 3: where there's a lot of focus. 333 00:15:33,140 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 5: Stuart Kaiser, thanks so much. 334 00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:34,630 Speaker 9: Appreciate it. 335 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,690 Speaker 5: Stuart Kaiser, read his research, folks. It's very direct, succinct, 336 00:15:38,790 --> 00:15:39,250 Speaker 5: to the point. 337 00:15:39,710 --> 00:15:41,710 Speaker 2: Tells you where the markets are and what he's hearing 338 00:15:41,730 --> 00:15:43,490 Speaker 2: from clients. And it's very helpful if you're trying to 339 00:15:43,510 --> 00:15:44,990 Speaker 2: get a sense of what's going on out there. 340 00:15:44,850 --> 00:15:45,270 Speaker 8: In the markets. 341 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,220 Speaker 5: Stay with us. More from Bloomberg Surveillance coming up after this. 342 00:16:09,690 --> 00:16:10,350 Speaker 5: We're back at work. 343 00:16:11,010 --> 00:16:12,450 Speaker 2: If you were a bond investor, I don't think you 344 00:16:12,470 --> 00:16:14,130 Speaker 2: got the summer off because there were so much new 345 00:16:14,210 --> 00:16:16,700 Speaker 2: issuance over the summer. And now we've got another deal 346 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,380 Speaker 2: coming from Amazon. Peter Cheer, he's back at work. He's 347 00:16:19,420 --> 00:16:22,660 Speaker 2: head of macro strategy at Academy Securities. Peter, we head 348 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 2: into the final kind of third of this year, 2026. 349 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,500 Speaker 2: How are you setting that up for your clients here 350 00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:30,470 Speaker 2: in early September? 351 00:16:31,490 --> 00:16:34,150 Speaker 4: I think we're kind of very cautious on bonds and 352 00:16:34,210 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 4: yields globally. I know Besant has talked about bond vigilantes. 353 00:16:37,380 --> 00:16:39,150 Speaker 4: I don't think that has anything really to do with it. 354 00:16:39,460 --> 00:16:41,740 Speaker 4: It's just the sheer amount of supply that's coming from 355 00:16:41,860 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 4: corporate America, from sovereigns across the globe. At the same time, 356 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,220 Speaker 4: some of the countries that used to buy a lot 357 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 4: of our debt, like the Saudis, are now having to 358 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,620 Speaker 4: take out loans. They're having to spend money. So I 359 00:16:51,660 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 4: think there's a supply and demand problem that's just going 360 00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:56,780 Speaker 4: to push longer-dated yields higher, almost regardless of what the 361 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:57,260 Speaker 4: data is. 362 00:16:58,350 --> 00:17:01,170 Speaker 8: Pete, is there issuance fatigue? 363 00:17:03,150 --> 00:17:04,939 Speaker 4: You know, I don't think so. I think people are, 364 00:17:04,950 --> 00:17:07,580 Speaker 4: you know, the story has been pretty well telegraphed. So 365 00:17:07,619 --> 00:17:10,100 Speaker 4: people have money set aside. I think it's much more 366 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,459 Speaker 4: a decision. Do I buy 10-year at 4.7% or do 367 00:17:13,540 --> 00:17:15,719 Speaker 4: I buy one of the hyperscalers at maybe closer to 6%? 368 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,020 Speaker 4: I think a lot of investors are saying, I would 369 00:17:18,060 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 4: rather invest my money, get 6% from a top-rated hyperscaler 370 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:23,970 Speaker 4: than the U.S. government. So I think that's pushing on 371 00:17:24,010 --> 00:17:26,550 Speaker 4: those yields. I think it'll get absorbed, but it is 372 00:17:26,590 --> 00:17:27,890 Speaker 4: sucking some capital out of the market. 373 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,479 Speaker 2: So we got, I don't know, Peter, we got the 374 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 2: 10-year at 480, the two-year pushing up to 440. 375 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 5: If you're Fed Chairman Warsh, what do you do next week? 376 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,590 Speaker 4: Well, one, I hope they actually make some progress on 377 00:17:44,630 --> 00:17:47,670 Speaker 4: their data task forces. I do think when Waller spoke 378 00:17:47,710 --> 00:17:49,350 Speaker 4: last week, he's correct, right? If you look at the 379 00:17:49,410 --> 00:17:51,470 Speaker 4: last two or three months annualized, the data is a 380 00:17:51,470 --> 00:17:54,149 Speaker 4: little bit better. I was just playing around with Atlanta 381 00:17:54,490 --> 00:17:57,909 Speaker 4: GDP Now. They create their own... core inflation metric. It's 382 00:17:57,990 --> 00:18:00,889 Speaker 4: actually only at 2.5%. So there's all these things I 383 00:18:00,910 --> 00:18:02,629 Speaker 4: think that they should look at. And I think the 384 00:18:02,750 --> 00:18:04,650 Speaker 4: one thing the Fed has to really do is push 385 00:18:04,690 --> 00:18:07,409 Speaker 4: back on saying, we have two sources of inflation right now, 386 00:18:07,430 --> 00:18:08,190 Speaker 4: at least in my opinion. 387 00:18:08,430 --> 00:18:09,020 Speaker 5: One is the war. 388 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,260 Speaker 4: Hiking rates is not going to help. The other is 389 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 4: this hyperscaler buildup, right? The compute buildup is massive. But 390 00:18:14,540 --> 00:18:16,859 Speaker 4: I don't think raising 50 basis points to 100 basis 391 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,050 Speaker 4: points is going to stop that, right? These companies believe 392 00:18:20,070 --> 00:18:23,350 Speaker 4: they're making 10x, 20x. They're going to go ahead. So 393 00:18:23,450 --> 00:18:25,310 Speaker 4: I think rate hikes is kind of futile right now. 394 00:18:25,369 --> 00:18:27,490 Speaker 4: So I would stay the course, watch and see how 395 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 4: this plays out. 396 00:18:28,500 --> 00:18:31,460 Speaker 8: So you're going against the grain in terms of the 397 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 8: forecasting for hikes from the Federal Reserve, right? 398 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:36,379 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think I really break the world up 399 00:18:36,420 --> 00:18:38,010 Speaker 4: into two parts. So the front end of the curve 400 00:18:38,050 --> 00:18:40,730 Speaker 4: is completely determined by the Fed. And I think they're 401 00:18:40,790 --> 00:18:42,910 Speaker 4: going to kind of be on hold. I think they're 402 00:18:42,930 --> 00:18:45,660 Speaker 4: going to push back on the need of hiking. And yes, 403 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,859 Speaker 4: we see the inflation there. But if you hike and 404 00:18:47,900 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 4: it's really not going to help inflation, why would you 405 00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 4: bother hiking? So I think we see stability. 406 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:53,070 Speaker 5: On the front end. 407 00:18:53,350 --> 00:18:55,070 Speaker 4: And then this long end to me is really supply 408 00:18:55,090 --> 00:18:57,550 Speaker 4: and demand. So I think yields stick slightly higher there. 409 00:18:57,570 --> 00:18:59,750 Speaker 4: I think that puts some amount of pressure on equities, 410 00:18:59,790 --> 00:19:02,190 Speaker 4: but nothing that can't be overcome. And the rest of this, 411 00:19:02,210 --> 00:19:05,070 Speaker 4: going back to your previous segment, I think across the globe, 412 00:19:05,109 --> 00:19:07,530 Speaker 4: you're going to be seeing an infrastructure build out. I 413 00:19:07,570 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 4: want to own infrastructure. I want to own energy. I 414 00:19:09,859 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 4: want to own rare earths and critical minerals globally because 415 00:19:12,540 --> 00:19:13,980 Speaker 4: I think that's the opportunity set. 416 00:19:14,700 --> 00:19:18,619 Speaker 2: Peter, at Academy Securities, you have the benefit of working 417 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,570 Speaker 2: with retired senior military folks, generals, admirals. It seems like 418 00:19:23,590 --> 00:19:28,190 Speaker 2: the market has compartmentalized the wars in Iran, the wars 419 00:19:28,250 --> 00:19:31,950 Speaker 2: in Ukraine. What are your leaders at Academy Securities saying? 420 00:19:32,430 --> 00:19:34,490 Speaker 2: How do you think these things will play out? Because, again, 421 00:19:34,550 --> 00:19:37,570 Speaker 2: the market seems to be looking past them until it doesn't, 422 00:19:37,609 --> 00:19:37,850 Speaker 2: I guess. 423 00:19:38,650 --> 00:19:40,300 Speaker 4: And I think that's probably the advice we've been giving 424 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 4: to our clients. I think we probably missed an opportunity 425 00:19:43,300 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 4: when we did the initial ceasefire, waited a few weeks, 426 00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:48,449 Speaker 4: then did the MOU, which then we waited a few 427 00:19:48,490 --> 00:19:52,180 Speaker 4: more weeks to discover was worthless. That was probably a 428 00:19:52,220 --> 00:19:54,659 Speaker 4: lost opportunity where maybe if we pressed harder, we could 429 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,220 Speaker 4: have driven this to a better conclusion sooner. Right now, 430 00:19:58,240 --> 00:19:59,659 Speaker 4: I think we're in the status quo. We are going 431 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,100 Speaker 4: to try and blockade them. We're going to put some 432 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,620 Speaker 4: financial pressure on them. They're going to lash it back 433 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 4: out periodically. They're going to try and get the Gulf 434 00:20:05,780 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 4: states to put pressure on us. So I think the 435 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,140 Speaker 4: market's doing relatively the right thing. Though, again, we're seeing 436 00:20:10,180 --> 00:20:12,410 Speaker 4: Brent at 98. I think maybe the markets have underplayed 437 00:20:12,430 --> 00:20:14,169 Speaker 4: it a little bit too much. So I think we're 438 00:20:14,190 --> 00:20:15,750 Speaker 4: at that ebb and flow. And I think there's this 439 00:20:15,810 --> 00:20:17,170 Speaker 4: risk right now people are going to have to start 440 00:20:17,190 --> 00:20:19,919 Speaker 4: pricing in not just higher oil prices, but to me, 441 00:20:19,950 --> 00:20:22,409 Speaker 4: it's really diesel. I keep watching diesel very closely. I 442 00:20:22,450 --> 00:20:25,500 Speaker 4: feel that permeates the economy much more. That's ticking higher. 443 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:26,719 Speaker 4: So I think we've got to be a little bit 444 00:20:26,740 --> 00:20:29,060 Speaker 4: careful there. I think we're a little bit more optimistic 445 00:20:29,100 --> 00:20:31,700 Speaker 4: that come next year, we get some sort of ability 446 00:20:31,740 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 4: for something to calm down in Russia and Ukraine. And 447 00:20:33,980 --> 00:20:35,189 Speaker 4: the one thing I think we're all a little bit 448 00:20:35,210 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 4: shaking our heads on is, You've seen such a clear 449 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,020 Speaker 4: lesson from Ukraine, how important it is to build manufactured 450 00:20:41,060 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 4: drones quickly, get them out in the field, and how 451 00:20:43,420 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 4: you can at least slow down an enemy. And I'd 452 00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 4: like to see us, you know, I keep waiting for 453 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,740 Speaker 4: us to show up in Iran with 500,000 drones. And 454 00:20:50,980 --> 00:20:52,619 Speaker 4: it seems like that's probably a longer way than it 455 00:20:52,660 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 4: should be for an economy like ours who've seen the 456 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 4: importance of this. 457 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 8: Well, at your company, what's the thinking? Is this a 458 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:02,620 Speaker 8: long-term conflict? Does it end any time soon? 459 00:21:04,130 --> 00:21:07,330 Speaker 4: No, I think we're probably leaning towards we walk away 460 00:21:07,350 --> 00:21:10,310 Speaker 4: a little bit. It doesn't really escalate much beyond what 461 00:21:10,350 --> 00:21:13,300 Speaker 4: it's currently escalating, but it also doesn't completely go away, 462 00:21:13,340 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 4: that we're going to have to threaten ships in the 463 00:21:16,460 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 4: region periodically, that we're going to have to put there. 464 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 4: So certainly not a forever war, but maybe a much 465 00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:26,420 Speaker 4: longer-term kind of police action until something really gets resolved. 466 00:21:27,140 --> 00:21:30,149 Speaker 2: So, Peter, the driver for global equities has been earnings, 467 00:21:30,230 --> 00:21:31,669 Speaker 2: and certainly the earnings story here in the U.S. 468 00:21:31,690 --> 00:21:34,780 Speaker 5: Has been app. extraordinary. How do you guys think about 469 00:21:34,820 --> 00:21:35,460 Speaker 5: that going forward? 470 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:38,260 Speaker 7: I think it's been great. 471 00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 4: One of the things is you start looking at some 472 00:21:40,340 --> 00:21:42,060 Speaker 4: of the earnings, and it's only a portion of it, 473 00:21:42,380 --> 00:21:45,300 Speaker 4: but it's been companies marketing to market their private equity investments, 474 00:21:45,619 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 4: things like that that, to me, aren't quite as sustainable. 475 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 4: All of this still comes down to, is the data 476 00:21:51,180 --> 00:21:53,310 Speaker 4: center AI build as good as it is, and how 477 00:21:53,390 --> 00:21:56,230 Speaker 4: quick is Chinese compute catching up? I'm a little bit 478 00:21:56,250 --> 00:21:59,169 Speaker 4: nervous that Chinese compute is is amping up. There's been 479 00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:01,129 Speaker 4: a little bit of noise in China about rare earths 480 00:22:01,150 --> 00:22:03,709 Speaker 4: and critical minerals. I think they still hold the biggest card. 481 00:22:03,990 --> 00:22:06,030 Speaker 4: So when Trump sits down with Xi, they have been 482 00:22:06,330 --> 00:22:08,470 Speaker 4: working really hard to catch up on compute and data centers. 483 00:22:08,490 --> 00:22:10,330 Speaker 4: They're still way behind us, but they are flooding our 484 00:22:10,369 --> 00:22:14,129 Speaker 4: market with cheap compute, which could hurt our markets. And 485 00:22:14,170 --> 00:22:16,550 Speaker 4: they do have that threat of rare earths and critical minerals, 486 00:22:16,590 --> 00:22:18,450 Speaker 4: which could drive our economy to a standstill. 487 00:22:18,490 --> 00:22:20,050 Speaker 7: So I'm OK with equities. 488 00:22:20,070 --> 00:22:22,030 Speaker 4: But again, I really think we need to build out 489 00:22:22,070 --> 00:22:25,189 Speaker 4: the things that we need to protect ourselves against Chinese influence. 490 00:22:25,230 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 5: So It's energy. 491 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:31,660 Speaker 4: It's smelting, refining, processing. Again, if I'm Canada, that's my 492 00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 4: response to all these tariffs. I try and figure out 493 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:35,180 Speaker 4: how to smelt and refine my own stuff and sell 494 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 4: it globally. So I think this is going on. And 495 00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:40,010 Speaker 4: I mentioned this maybe two weeks ago. Australia has now 496 00:22:40,369 --> 00:22:43,570 Speaker 4: announced their first refinery. They're now actually announcing potentially some drilling. 497 00:22:43,590 --> 00:22:45,970 Speaker 4: So you're seeing this trend. That's where I want to 498 00:22:45,990 --> 00:22:47,790 Speaker 4: be heavily invested. You're not taking as much of a 499 00:22:47,810 --> 00:22:49,889 Speaker 4: binary bet as I feel you are right now in 500 00:22:49,910 --> 00:22:51,290 Speaker 4: the hyperscale or compute build. 501 00:22:51,970 --> 00:22:53,910 Speaker 2: Peter, thanks so much for joining us. Always appreciate getting 502 00:22:53,950 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 2: a few minutes of your time. 503 00:22:54,780 --> 00:22:55,190 Speaker 3: Peter, cheers. 504 00:22:55,869 --> 00:22:58,929 Speaker 2: He's head of macro strategy at Academy Securities. 505 00:23:00,970 --> 00:23:04,060 Speaker 5: Stay with us. More from Bloomberg Surveillance coming up after this. 506 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,859 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. Catch us live 507 00:23:13,940 --> 00:23:17,129 Speaker 1: weekday afternoons from 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern. Listen on 508 00:23:17,230 --> 00:23:20,490 Speaker 1: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app 509 00:23:20,710 --> 00:23:22,390 Speaker 1: or watch us live on YouTube. 510 00:23:24,060 --> 00:23:27,220 Speaker 2: I'm looking at yields here. Up again a little bit here. 511 00:23:27,260 --> 00:23:30,179 Speaker 2: The 10-year treasury up at basis 0.4 spot. 512 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:31,899 Speaker 5: Let's call it 480. 513 00:23:31,900 --> 00:23:34,220 Speaker 2: I mean, remember when we traded 4% to 4.5%? That 514 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:35,220 Speaker 2: seems kind of quaint. 515 00:23:35,460 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 8: Are you getting tempted? 516 00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 5: What's that? 517 00:23:37,180 --> 00:23:38,020 Speaker 8: Are you getting tempted? 518 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 5: Oh, yeah, absolutely. 519 00:23:39,420 --> 00:23:41,139 Speaker 2: I mean, I clip coupons for a living. Look at 520 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,649 Speaker 2: that in a two-year. I mean, I don't have a 521 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,620 Speaker 2: lot of confidence in my government, but I think they'll 522 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,790 Speaker 2: pay me back in two years if I get two-year 523 00:23:47,810 --> 00:23:48,950 Speaker 2: piece of paper and get 4.38%. 524 00:23:48,950 --> 00:23:50,990 Speaker 5: That's not a bad living, right? 525 00:23:51,470 --> 00:23:53,139 Speaker 2: These folks down in D.C. can pay me back in 526 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:53,980 Speaker 2: two years, I think. 527 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 8: Right? You would hope so. 528 00:23:56,220 --> 00:23:58,460 Speaker 5: I would hope so. Let's talk to a professional about 529 00:23:58,500 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 5: this stuff, Oksana Aronov. 530 00:23:59,980 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: She's head of market strategy for alternative fixed income at J.P. 531 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:06,540 Speaker 2: Morgan Asset Management. Oksana, thanks so much for joining us 532 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 2: here in our studio. What is alternative fixed income for 533 00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:10,260 Speaker 2: you guys? 534 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,899 Speaker 10: Good morning. Thanks so much for having me. Great to 535 00:24:12,940 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 10: be here. 536 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,210 Speaker 11: Alternative fixed income aims to the way we define it, 537 00:24:17,260 --> 00:24:21,070 Speaker 11: which is specifically through an absolute return policy. lens, we 538 00:24:21,090 --> 00:24:23,129 Speaker 11: define it as being able to generate a return for 539 00:24:23,170 --> 00:24:26,649 Speaker 11: investors irrespective of whether the environment is a benevolent one 540 00:24:26,690 --> 00:24:28,670 Speaker 11: for bonds or not. And of course, over the past 541 00:24:28,690 --> 00:24:30,910 Speaker 11: five years, we've been in an environment that's not been 542 00:24:30,950 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 11: benevolent for bonds. So we were positive in 2022 and 543 00:24:34,660 --> 00:24:38,780 Speaker 11: continue to do so ever since and consistently generate more 544 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,300 Speaker 11: positive returns than your traditional fixed income approach. 545 00:24:41,700 --> 00:24:44,220 Speaker 8: I put this question to Peter Scheer before, but is 546 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,540 Speaker 8: there issuance fatigue? Do you detect that? 547 00:24:48,630 --> 00:24:49,430 Speaker 10: From the Treasury? 548 00:24:50,010 --> 00:24:52,130 Speaker 8: Well, from all across fixed income. 549 00:24:52,850 --> 00:24:55,590 Speaker 11: So the interesting phenomenon is that, of course, the Treasury 550 00:24:55,890 --> 00:24:59,390 Speaker 11: is going through motions to try and bring loan rates down. 551 00:24:59,430 --> 00:25:02,070 Speaker 11: The administration wants lower rates, which, by the way, is 552 00:25:02,130 --> 00:25:04,230 Speaker 11: every administration since the beginning of time. I don't know 553 00:25:04,260 --> 00:25:05,970 Speaker 11: that there ever has been one that did not want 554 00:25:06,020 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 11: lower rates. But zero rates are never walking through that door. 555 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:13,060 Speaker 11: So we should just get used to that reality. That 556 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 11: was a very particular moment in time. Is there issuance fatigue? 557 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,150 Speaker 11: What's happening is you have a tremendous amount of issuance 558 00:25:20,170 --> 00:25:22,310 Speaker 11: from the Treasury to plug this deficit that we have. 559 00:25:22,369 --> 00:25:24,310 Speaker 11: And at the same time, you have competition coming in 560 00:25:24,369 --> 00:25:28,179 Speaker 11: from high quality hyperscaler issuance or what continues to be 561 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 11: high quality for now, at least. Hyperscalar spreads are certainly widening, 562 00:25:31,740 --> 00:25:35,179 Speaker 11: meaning they're having to pay more to issue debt. But 563 00:25:35,220 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 11: there are some technicals there that are not great for treasuries, 564 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:44,010 Speaker 11: as well as the overwhelming demand for the treasuries is 565 00:25:44,050 --> 00:25:46,810 Speaker 11: coming from overseas, from our largest holders, such as China, 566 00:25:46,850 --> 00:25:50,670 Speaker 11: such as Japan. So we are definitely very much beholden 567 00:25:50,730 --> 00:25:52,869 Speaker 11: to the dynamics of that demand. 568 00:25:53,550 --> 00:25:56,209 Speaker 2: When I look at the INGO function on the Bloomberg terminal, 569 00:25:56,410 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 2: it shows me returns across fixed income. Year to date, 570 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:01,980 Speaker 2: the best returns in the U.S. have been leveraged loans, 571 00:26:02,660 --> 00:26:05,220 Speaker 2: number one, and high yield, number two. So it seems 572 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 2: like the market's willing to take credit risk. 573 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,500 Speaker 5: Are you guys willing to take credit risk here? 574 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:10,470 Speaker 11: Do you know what has done better than high yield, 575 00:26:10,510 --> 00:26:11,710 Speaker 11: or at least as well year to date? 576 00:26:11,730 --> 00:26:12,910 Speaker 10: What's that? The very front end of the curve. 577 00:26:13,030 --> 00:26:13,790 Speaker 5: Is that right? 578 00:26:13,830 --> 00:26:14,030 Speaker 3: Yeah. 579 00:26:14,170 --> 00:26:17,790 Speaker 11: With significantly less risk, you got to the same or 580 00:26:17,890 --> 00:26:21,780 Speaker 11: better place year to date with significantly less ups and downs, 581 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,659 Speaker 11: which is, of course, what keeps investors invested, right? So 582 00:26:24,700 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 11: you can't eat volatility, but that's what keeps. 583 00:26:27,710 --> 00:26:30,350 Speaker 10: folks invested, and that's what you want for the long term. 584 00:26:30,369 --> 00:26:32,990 Speaker 11: So that just tells you the fact that the very 585 00:26:33,050 --> 00:26:36,030 Speaker 11: front of the curve, three-month T-bills are pretty much where 586 00:26:36,090 --> 00:26:38,699 Speaker 11: high yield, the riskiest part of the bond market is, 587 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 11: tells you that the market is kind of like a 588 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,660 Speaker 11: coiled spring in credit, meaning spreads are so very tight 589 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,859 Speaker 11: that everything is moving off of interest rate risk, which 590 00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:50,380 Speaker 11: has not really been the friend of bonds this year 591 00:26:50,580 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 11: as yields have moved up. And that's just telling you 592 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 11: that there's tremendous amount of richness in the credit market. 593 00:26:57,070 --> 00:26:58,350 Speaker 10: And we're seeing late cycle market. 594 00:26:58,380 --> 00:27:01,290 Speaker 2: Well, one of my good ski buddies, longtime hedge fund 595 00:27:01,310 --> 00:27:03,670 Speaker 2: manager on the street, I always loved our chairlift ride 596 00:27:03,690 --> 00:27:05,810 Speaker 2: because he would give me some really cool stock ideas. 597 00:27:06,410 --> 00:27:09,070 Speaker 2: Now he's retired. All he does is roll three and 598 00:27:09,109 --> 00:27:12,350 Speaker 2: six month treasury bills. I mean, hugely boring. I'm no 599 00:27:12,390 --> 00:27:13,129 Speaker 2: fun at all anymore. 600 00:27:13,810 --> 00:27:15,510 Speaker 8: And you could do it through Treasury Direct, too. 601 00:27:15,830 --> 00:27:17,790 Speaker 5: I guess. But that's what you're saying. I mean, even 602 00:27:17,810 --> 00:27:19,210 Speaker 5: the smart people change their work. 603 00:27:19,350 --> 00:27:22,830 Speaker 11: And interestingly, so much of the investment industry, particularly in 604 00:27:22,869 --> 00:27:27,350 Speaker 11: fixed income, has evolved around being fully invested throughout the cycle. 605 00:27:27,710 --> 00:27:30,690 Speaker 11: And sometimes you have to make the most intelligent decision, 606 00:27:30,750 --> 00:27:32,510 Speaker 11: which is where are you going to be on the curve? 607 00:27:32,570 --> 00:27:35,189 Speaker 11: And it doesn't always pay to have duration. Sometimes you 608 00:27:35,210 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 11: want to have the least amount of duration and get paid. 609 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:38,220 Speaker 10: You start it out. 610 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 11: Asking, are you getting excited about the tens at 4.8? 611 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,179 Speaker 11: I'm excited about twos at 4.37. 612 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,850 Speaker 10: I mean, why not? That's above the Fed funds. 613 00:27:46,430 --> 00:27:49,350 Speaker 11: We're likely not going to see a meaningful hiking cycle 614 00:27:49,410 --> 00:27:51,430 Speaker 11: even if we get a hike or two here, which 615 00:27:51,590 --> 00:27:54,410 Speaker 11: the bar for that even is fairly high. So sitting 616 00:27:54,450 --> 00:27:56,290 Speaker 11: there at nearly 4.4 in. 617 00:27:56,250 --> 00:27:57,270 Speaker 10: The two-year is a great. 618 00:27:58,230 --> 00:28:00,170 Speaker 8: I don't know if this is within your remit, but 619 00:28:00,710 --> 00:28:03,929 Speaker 8: back to issuance. Do we know what the breakdown is 620 00:28:03,990 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 8: between companies issuing debt or using free cash flow for 621 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 8: their investment? What's that breakdown? 622 00:28:12,340 --> 00:28:17,140 Speaker 11: So hyperscalers have pretty much entirely switched to issuing debt. 623 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 11: And we're seeing their free cash flow going negative in 624 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:24,050 Speaker 11: some cases, right? Because initially, they funded this CapEx exclusively 625 00:28:24,130 --> 00:28:26,950 Speaker 11: from their cash coffers, which were enormous. And now they're 626 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,360 Speaker 11: funding it almost entirely through debt issuance. 627 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:31,619 Speaker 8: Because they can? 628 00:28:31,700 --> 00:28:32,460 Speaker 10: Because they can. 629 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,939 Speaker 11: I mean, they're borrowing, even though their borrowing costs are 630 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,179 Speaker 11: going up, the math in their mind is, you know, 631 00:28:37,220 --> 00:28:39,540 Speaker 11: they're spending whatever it is, 6%, but they're in the 632 00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:40,500 Speaker 11: hopes of making 30. 633 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:42,860 Speaker 8: I mean, do you see that reversing at some point? 634 00:28:42,980 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 10: Absolutely. 635 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 11: I mean, I think that math only works if that 636 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,890 Speaker 11: 30 materializes, and it's not clear whether it does. So 637 00:28:49,930 --> 00:28:53,670 Speaker 11: much of the, not just the investment industry, but our 638 00:28:53,710 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 11: economy generally is tied up, tied into this spend. Something 639 00:28:57,740 --> 00:29:00,350 Speaker 11: like 50 percent of our GDP next year is expected 640 00:29:00,380 --> 00:29:02,610 Speaker 11: to come from this AI spend. 641 00:29:02,650 --> 00:29:06,130 Speaker 10: So it is a very important tailwind to the U.S. economy. 642 00:29:06,270 --> 00:29:10,820 Speaker 11: And if the acceleration rate at which they're spending slows down, 643 00:29:10,860 --> 00:29:13,180 Speaker 11: I'm not even saying that it goes entirely negative. If 644 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,420 Speaker 11: the acceleration rate slows down, that does have meaningful ramifications 645 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:17,220 Speaker 11: for the economy. 646 00:29:17,380 --> 00:29:20,260 Speaker 2: It feels that feels the way you just phrase that 647 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:21,510 Speaker 2: makes me nervous here. 648 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,220 Speaker 11: Well, we are, if you look at the spend from 649 00:29:24,260 --> 00:29:27,030 Speaker 11: the hyperscalers and compare it to the telecom spend, which 650 00:29:27,270 --> 00:29:30,690 Speaker 11: all parallels are flawed, without a doubt. But we are currently, 651 00:29:30,710 --> 00:29:33,990 Speaker 11: you know, the telecom spend reached kind of one to one, 652 00:29:35,250 --> 00:29:36,830 Speaker 11: one percent, I should say, of GDP. 653 00:29:36,890 --> 00:29:38,110 Speaker 10: We have now doubled that. 654 00:29:38,170 --> 00:29:40,870 Speaker 11: We're at 2% of GDP on the hyperscaler spend, and 655 00:29:40,910 --> 00:29:43,970 Speaker 11: we're on track to get to 3% of GDP by 656 00:29:43,970 --> 00:29:46,750 Speaker 11: 2027 at some point. So we essentially are on track 657 00:29:46,770 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 11: to triple the spend that we saw during the telecom era. 658 00:29:49,780 --> 00:29:52,340 Speaker 11: So the amount of money is enormous and has significant 659 00:29:52,380 --> 00:29:53,010 Speaker 11: impacts for us. 660 00:29:53,260 --> 00:29:55,340 Speaker 2: And John Tucker, I was right smack in the middle 661 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 2: of all that new assurance in the telecom space in 662 00:29:57,380 --> 00:29:59,750 Speaker 2: the late 90s. It was a glorious time you made it. 663 00:30:00,020 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 2: heaps of money. 664 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:01,140 Speaker 10: Until it wasn't. 665 00:30:01,470 --> 00:30:02,990 Speaker 5: Until it wasn't. Exactly. 666 00:30:03,270 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 2: So I signed my last contract in February of 2000. 667 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 2: Talk about timing. Oksana Arnav, she's head of market strategy 668 00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:11,620 Speaker 2: for alternative fixed income at JPMorgan Essendon. 669 00:30:12,070 --> 00:30:16,990 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast, available on Apple, Spotify, 670 00:30:17,110 --> 00:30:21,370 Speaker 1: and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Listen live each weekday, 671 00:30:21,370 --> 00:30:26,790 Speaker 1: 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern, on Bloomberg.com, the iHeartRadio app, TuneIn, 672 00:30:27,110 --> 00:30:30,190 Speaker 1: and the Bloomberg Business app. You can also watch us 673 00:30:30,270 --> 00:30:34,300 Speaker 1: live every weekday on YouTube and always on the Bloomberg Terminal. 674 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:38,340 Speaker 11: Thank you.